scraps & lagniappe

working from home

I'm working from home today (just like everyday, but today I'm telling you what I'm doing). 

Beacuase I'm working from home today, I have but one request.

Amen.

photoshop rap

Just so you know, I believe I'm the first to call myself a Photoshop Pimp.

 

tunes you need tuesday: Death Cab for Cutie

I've recently fell in love with a band I had previously dismissed based on their name (yes, I am that person). I am now okay with Death Cab for Cutie's name because it's taken from a Magical Mystery Tour reference. Anyway, I love their music — nice lyrics, great vocals, good stuff. 

See what you think of a few of their songs. Up first is "You Are a Tourist." It was filmed in real time, live for the interwebs, which I think is kinda neat. It's also a good example of what this band does well.

 

This is "LIttle Bribes." It's fantastic.

 

"Grapevine Fires" is lovely.

 

And "I Will Possess Your Heart" is really something. It may be my favorite. 

 

 

my depression hiatus

I haven't been able to blog lately. It's not that I didn't want to. I want to talk about something no one talks about, because there is still a stigma about it, and that's depression. 

This isn't going to be a "woe is me" post, don't worry. And if you feel like skipping this one, go ahead, it's okay. 

I've struggled with depression for most of my life. It's not something you'd notice if you were to meet me or if you know me. Unless you're a very close friend, chances are you don't know this about me. Most depressed people, save for the ones in hospitals or acting in commercials, don't look or seem depressed. We don't lie in bed all day and think about ways to kill ourselves. We have lives and families and jobs and blogs. We put smiles on in public and hold it together for the most part. I'm fun and vibrant and fabulous. Sometimes I feel like it's a mask that I wear, but that's the thing about depression — I have to face the world at some point and I can't look like the before woman in those ads. 

"Oh, Cheer Up!" Well, thank you, well-meaning friend, but I can't. It's not as simple as snapping out of it or I would. I know that you care, but it's not that I'm just in a bad mood or bummed about something. It's nothing and at the same time it's everything. Some days are better than others. Lately, I've had more of the latter. It's okay. I'm used to it, but it's still hard. And it's difficult to explain to people who haven't dealt with depression before. Most people have had periods of being down or upset for a while, but it usually passes. People generally don't understand that it never completely goes away for me. Most people don't want to hear about it either. And I understand that. For crying out loud, there are uprisings going on in Libya right now and we're in a financial crisis and I'm depressed about WHAT EXACTLY? Exactly.

As much as I hate to say it, depression is a very real mental illness. It's just as real as my hypothyroidism or high blood pressure. I take medication for it, as I do for my other chronic illnesses. I also have anxiety. Depression and anxiety are like the mental illness one-two punch of my life. They're like a good cop/bad cop, only they're both bad cops. Like if Gary Busey and Nick Nolte were both bad cops in a buddy cop movie. Steven Segal and Jean Claude Van Damme. Jackie Chan and AHNOLD. You get the picture. Ha! Movie = picture. The depressed girl can still write a bad pun!

So, that's that. I'm glad we had this talk. I think we all learned something. And by "something," I think we both know that the something is that I've given Hollywood bad buddy cop movie ideas. I'll be back with something completely different soon.

Love,

Kerry

against all odds

I listed to this song approximately 42, 000 times last week. Here's the Postal Service.

 

I've forgotten how to blog

Apparently I have forgotten how to blog. I shall return with something soon. 

tweets that made me laugh

Are you on the Twittah? I love a funny tweet. These are from happyplace.com.

 

back to school by the numbers

I am a fan of "by the numbers" articles. I like the way they put things in perspective. For instance, I could tell you I bought school supplies for three kids, but that doesn't tell you much. Let's break it down.

 

1 — number of watercolor paints purchased.

1 — number of composition notebooks purchased.

2 — number of Converse All Star shoes purchased.

3 — number of teacher meet & greets I attended yesterday.

3 — number of LL Bean monogrammed backpacks purchased. 

3 — number of Advil I took after getting home from the meet & greets.

4 — packs of construction paper purchased.

4 — number of uniform jumpers purchased.

7 — number of uniform shorts purchased.

12 — number of uniform shirts purchased.

12 — ounces of glue purchased.

16 — number of folders with pockets and prongs purchased.

17 — number of spiral notebooks purchased.

24 — number of washable Crayola markers purchased.

36 — pairs of socks purchased. 

40 — number of #2 pencils purchased.

72 — number of crayons purchased.

600 — sheets of paper purchased.

 

If you need me, I'll be under the covers hiding from the kids until school starts Monday.

other alternate tag lines

I'm blaogging from Chick Fil A. I had the southwest chargrilled chicken salad. A kid threw up in the play area and it was pandemonium. I need a drink.

I thought of some alternate blog tag lines for no reason. Here they are.

• You're not ready for this jelly.
• Blogging since 2002, neurotic since 1990.
• Still only $19.99 for reading admission!
• You've been punked.
• From my MacBook Pro to your Internets.
• You got here by Googling "BBW pin-up," didn't you?
• Powered by boredom.
• 3 drink minimum. BYOB.
• Like you have anything better to do.
• Says "you too" at inappropriate moments.
• Just killing time until the eventual nervous breakdown.
• Trying to disprove being voted "hardest working" in high school on post at a time.

explaining the debt crisis

Jimmy Fallon and Bri-Wi slow-jammed the debt crisis for y'all, in case you haven't been paying attention to the news for the past couple of weeks.

 

Boehner got blocked by his causcus. I hate it when that happens.